1. Field of Use
The present invention is related to a novel and unique device for acoustically monitoring a subject's airway to determine airway obstruction(s) and their location(s). The device is particularly useful when performing sleep analysis and sleep therapy, but is also highly useful in determining airway obstructions of any subject when the subject is sleeping or otherwise unconscious, and can further be used in certain applications when the subject is awake or conscious. The device, in its simplest form, is comprised of a supporting body (e.g. a mask, mouthpiece, or nasal cannula) used to position at least one acoustic generator and at least one acoustic sensor at a location essentially proximal to a subject's airway, the acoustic generator and acoustic sensor generating and/or sensing sound waves useful in determining obstruction(s) and their location(s) within the airway of a subject.
2. Technology Review
Because of the vital role that the respiratory system plays in human health and physiological function, monitoring of a subject's airway is an important part of providing quality health care. Specifically, determination and monitoring of obstructions and their locations within a subject's airway is a critical and useful step in many health care applications. Among the most critical and useful applications are airway monitoring during sleep analysis and therapy as well as during procedures involving the use of sedatives or general anesthesia wherein a subject is unconscious.
Currently, a number of imaging modalities exist which can be used to examine a subject's airway, including cephalometry, computed tomography and pharyngometry. However, because of the temporal limitations and the methods and nature of the equipment required to perform these procedures, they cannot practically be used to monitor a subject's airway while the subject is asleep or unconscious. Other imaging methods exist which may be used over longer time periods and/or while a subject is asleep or unconscious, such as sleep endoscopy and manometry. However, these methods are costly, ineffective and invasive, as they require placement of nasal catheters or endoscopes into the pharynx of a subject under local anesthetic for prolonged periods of time.
Notwithstanding the many methods available to image or monitor a subject's airway, currently, none of these methods are viable solutions to providing a way to accurately and conveniently monitor and localize airway obstructions while a subject is asleep or unconscious.
To address these shortcomings, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for convenient, non-invasive monitoring of airway state while a subject is asleep or unconscious. It is another object of the present invention to provide a device wherein at least one acoustic generator and at least one acoustic sensor are placed essentially proximal to the airway of a subject to collect information on the nature and location of obstructive tissue within a subject's airway. It is another object of the present invention to provide a device by which information pertaining to the nature and location of obstructive tissue within a subject's airway can be obtained and used in surgical planning, therapeutic planning, diagnosis, and the like. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device wherein acoustic monitoring of obstruction(s) and their location(s) within a subject's airway is used in connection with, or controlled by, a respiratory therapy or respiratory assist device.